Seeing The Darkness
by VioletPadfoot
Summary: A new faction in the war is emerging, led my someone known only as Dark Emerald. He plans to win the war and take Voldemort's place as the new Dark Lord. Will he succeed?


**Seeing the Darkness**

**By: VioletPadfoot**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any of the other characters. I'm simply borrowing them to use to satisfy my obsession with them…

**Chapter One**

The open window let in a small amount of the warm summer breeze, stirring the stale air in the small cabin. An owl flew in this window and dropped a letter on the table, scattering the pieces of the chess game that was in progress. The two men who had been playing the game were shocked. No one had been able to find them here. And no one should have been able. The older of the two picked up the letter and carefully opened it, wary of any curses it may contain. The only contents in the envelope were a single note. It read:

_To Potions Master Severus Snape and Mister Draco Malfoy:_

_I have a proposition for the two of you. It concerns the current war. Let me assure you that I am in no way affiliated with the Ministry, nor the Dark Lord Voldemort, nor with the side of the Light anymore. If you would like to know more, I will meet you outside the Muggle entrance to the Leaky Cauldron at noon on August Third._

The note was left unsigned. Severus and Draco had many questions the neither could answer. Who was this mysterious person? Could this be a trap? How did this person find them? How could this be about the war, and yet this person not be with any of the known sides? He had obviously been on one, but why leave it and not go to one of the others? And most importantly, what did this person want from them?

It was currently 7:30 pm on August first. They spent most of the night and next day arguing over whether or not they should go. Draco was all for going. Severus wanted to stay hidden. He was sure that if they were to go out, somebody would spot them and turn them into the Ministry. Eventually Draco won, pointing out that they were wizards and that there were potions and charm they could use to disguise themselves.

August third outside the Leaky Cauldron at noon found a man dressed in black leather trousers, a black sleeveless T-shirt, black boots and a black Muggle baseball cap, pulled low over his face, casting it in to shadow. He leaned on the wall between the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron and the record store. His arms were crossed in front of him, a long black jacket draped over them, as he watched for the two people he was to meet. He knew they'd show, they would want to know exactly who he was and how he had found them. He spotted two men approaching, one with dark brown hair, the shorter one with dark blonde hair that was nearly brown. They both looked wary of their surroundings. He knew these were the men he was waiting for. He waited for them to notice him. The blonde noticed him first and pointed him out to his companion. Both quickened their pace and came to a stop in front of him. He acknowledged them with nods them led them down the streets stopping at a dingy looking apartment building. They were led inside and up several flights of stairs where the man in black led them to the end of the corridor. He pulled out his wand to open the door and showed the two inside.

The apartment was sparsely furnished. The tops of the walls were black but a quarter of the way down the wall they faded into the blood-red color that covered most of the wall. The floor was a medium colored wood and the furniture was all black. One corner held a small kitchen and dining area. Two doors, painted black, led from the room to what was presumably a bedroom and a bathroom. The air in the room was slightly chilly as if he A/C were turned up a notch too high. The man in black didn't seem to notice the temperature. He tossed his jacket over the back of one of the two chairs. He motioned or his two guests to sit. They both sat on the rather rickety looking sofa. Their host went to the kitchen area and brought back three glasses and some Firewhiskey. He set them on the lone table in the sitting area. He poured them each a drink and handed one to both men. Neither took a drink until their host did, making sure the drink wasn't laced with anything.

And finally their host spoke. "You can take your glamours of Potions Master Snape and Mister Malfoy. You are quite safe here."

Both did as the man requested though Snape protested a bit. "How are we to be sure you wont hand us over?" Snape asked.

"I told you in my letter, I'm not with the Ministry, Voldemort, nor the side of the Light."

"Well if this is in regards to he war, which side were you on, and which are you on now?"

"I was on the side of the Light, until I got to thinking this past summer. I'm on my own side now,' the man answered.

"And who exactly are you?" Severus asked with a sneer.

"You can call me Dark Emerald."

"Dark Emerald?"

"Just as Voldemort does not wish anyone to know his true name, I do not wish anyone to know my true name…yet."

"And what proposition do you have for Draco and I?"

"I offer you the chance to join me."

"Why?"

"You obviously can't go to the Light because of your roles in Albus Dumbledore's death. You can't go to the Ministry for the same reason. And neither of you can return to Lord Voldemort because Draco failed to kill Dumbledore and Severus did it for him. So I offer you the chance to join me."

"And how would that help us?"

"Just the simple fact that I plan to win this war. Either you join me, and rule with me, or you refuse, and eventually I rule over you."

"And why ask us?"

Both of you are powerful wizards and power always helps to gain more power. Plus you two really can't tell anyone about me. The Ministry would arrest you on sight, and if you went to either the Light or Dark sides, they would kill first and ask questions later. So with you two I am essentially safe."

"A very Slytherin observation," mused Severus.

"There are times when I feel I was placed in the wrong House six years ago."

"You're a student at Hogwarts?" Draco asked.

"Your Year in fact," replied Dark Emerald. He gave the two wizards a few moments to consider his proposal before asking, "So gentlemen. Will you join me or not?"

Severus and Draco exchanged glances. Severus turned back to Dark Emerald. "Yes, Dark Emerald. We will join you."

Dark Emerald gave a pleased looking smile. Severus and Draco still could not see the rest of his face as he had yet to remove his cap. "Give me your arm," he requested.

Severus rose and extended his unmarked arm to the wizard seated before him. "The other arm" Dark Emerald said. Severus offered his left arm instead. Dark Emerald turned it so Severus' forearm faced upward and pushed the man's sleeve up to his elbow. He placed his palm over the Dark Mark and wrapped his fingers around Severus' arm. He muttered something too low for his guests to make out. Severus' face scrunched into a look of immense pain and his whole body tensed. When he finally relaxed, Dark Emerald released his grasp. When he removed, the Dark Mark was completely gone. "You are no longer a servant of Lord Voldemort," he pronounced. "Now I ask you to please remove your sleeve from your upper right arm." Severus complied by vanishing his entire right sleeve. Dark Emerald placed his palm over Severus' bare bicep and quietly began an incantation. Severus' body tensed once again and Draco could see he was in some pain, though most people would see nothing. It took several moments for Dark Emerald to finish his incantation, which neither Severus nor Draco could make out. He removed his hand to reveal an emerald colored lightning bolt. "It will be easier for my followers to hide a mark that looks like a normal tattoo," he explained in response to the questioning looks he received.

"And just how many followers do you have right now?" Draco asked, standing and moving to where Dark Emerald stood, while Severus returned to his seat and made his missing sleeve reappear.

"I've only begun to recruit. You two are the first I've approached, and the first to accept," Dark Emerald said, raising his chin slightly. Draco, who was a couple inches shorter, saw the reason the man had chosen to be known as Dark Emerald. Glittering from the shadows that engulfed his face were two emerald colored eyes that showed he had no doubt he would soon gain more followers. Dark Emerald held out his hand to receive Draco's arm to remove the Mark as he had done to Severus. Draco placed his wrist into the offered hand. Dark Emerald wrapped his fingers around Draco's wrist and used his free hand to push Draco's sleeve up to his elbow, exposing the pale forearm, the dark skull marring the perfect looking skin. He placed his hand over the ugly Mark and began the near silent incantation that would remove the Mark. Draco tensed just as Severus had done. A small cry of pain escaped his lips. A few moments later, the Mark was forever banished from Draco's arm.

"Now the other arm," came dark Emerald's request. Instead of vanishing his sleeve as Severus had done, Draco grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head. He didn't miss how the emerald orbs flicked over his slightly muscled torso. Nor did he miss the appreciative smile that flickered across Dark Emerald's lips. Dark Emerald placed his hand on Draco's bicep and began the incantation to embed his own mark into the blonde's skin. When the incantation was finished, Dark Emerald's fingers lingered on Draco's arm a bit longer that necessary. He trailed his fingers down Draco's arm before turning and gathering up the glasses to take back to the kitchen area. Draco gathered his shirt from where it had landed on one of the chairs and put it back on. He noticed Severus giving him a questioning look. Draco half shrugged, lifting his right shoulder.

Dark Emerald placed the glasses in his sink then turned back to his two guests. "Thank you for joining me," he said then dismissed them. He watched as they replaced their glamours and left. Severus stood as tall as he could as he walked, his movements fluid and graceful. By looking at him you knew he deserved your respect, even if you didn't know for what. Draco's movements were also graceful and he too held himself tall, but it wasn't the same as Severus. His posture was more … snobbish, for lack of a better word, than Severus'. Severus' asked for the respect he had earned. Draco's demanded the respect he had always been given. Draco's walk also flaunted the man's good looks. Draco's black denim jeans clung in all the right places and Dark Emerald watched the perfect looking ass as its owner made his way down the hallway.

When Draco and Severus were out of sight, Dark Emerald closed the door to the apartment. He finally took off his baseball cap and tossed it into the same chair that held his jacket. He opened the door to the bedroom and an owl fluttered out. "Sorry girl," he said as she landed on the empty chair. He crossed to the chair and began to pet her. "They probably would have recognized you, and I can't have anyone knowing exactly who I am. Not yet. Mot until I'm ready to get rid of Voldemort. Then all the Wizarding World will fear me even more than they fear Voldemort."

_A/N: Anyone who can guess Dark Emerald's true identity will get cookies. The sooner you guess, the more cookies you get, though it is nearly obvious in the next chapter…_


End file.
